Apparatus for packaging cigars



March 8, 1966 F. HOLLENTON APPARATUS FOR PACKAGING CIGARS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 29, 1962 INVENTOR. FRANK HOLLENTON ma SL4 KATTO March 8, 1966 F. HOLLENTON APPARATUS FOR PACKAGING CIGARS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 29, 1962 INVENTOR. FRANK HOLLENTON TORNE United States Patent 3,238,698 APPARATUS FOR PACKAGING CIGARS Frank Hollenton, Mountainside, N .J., assignor to American Machine & Foundry Company, a corporation of New Jersey Filed Mar. 29, 1962, Ser. No. 183,434 2 Claims. (Cl. 53-258) The present invention relates to a machine for automatically packaging groups of cigars in predetermined numbers and more specifically to apparatus for insuring free and clear insertion of a predetermined number of cigars in a pre-formed carton.

The present invention has particular utility in the type of machine described and claimed in my co-pending application S.N. 73,265, filed on December 2, 1960, wherein there is shown automatic apparatus for packaging groups of cigars in a pre-formed cardboard container. As described therein, the grouped cigars are inserted, in unison, lengthwise, into the open end of the carton container which is then closed and sealed to produce a pleasing package.

For certain forms of pre-wrapped cigars, difiiculties were encountered which hampered their insertion in the pre-formed carton, rendering the machine periodically inoperative and sometimes inappropriate for such packaging.

The main object of the present invention is the provision of apparatus, for use in the machine described in my co-pending application, for insuring the proper insertion of a charge of cigars into a pre-formed carton.

Another object is to provide funneling means for insuring the insertion of a predetermined charge of prewrapped cigars into a pre-formed carton.

These and other objects and advantages, as well as a detailed description of the invention, will be apparent from the following and the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of the insertion station of a packaging machine such as described in the aforementioned co-pending application, showing the structure of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross-section view taken along lines 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a detailed view of a portion of FIG. 1 showing the insertion of cigars and the operation of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a detailed view of a portion of FIG. 2 showing the insertion of cigars and the operation of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is still a further detailed view of a portion of FIG. 1;

FIGS. 6 and 7 are detailed views of a portion of FIG. 1 modified and adapted for a particular shaped pre-formed carton having end tabs.

Turning now to FIGS. 1 and 2 there is shown a somewhat abbreviated form of the machine described in my co-pending application. This machine basically comprises a pair of parallel conveyors 10 and 12. The conveyor 10 is formed with a plurality of pockets P (only one is shown) adapted to receive and maintain from a supply source (not shown) a pre-formed fully set-up carton 14 having at least the inner end 16 open. The movement of conveyor 10 is such as to move a plurality of cartons past an insertion station I in predetermined timed spacial sequence.

The conveyor 12 is adapted to receive and transport (means for doing so not shown) a plurality of cigars to an accumulating station A formed by a pivoting gate stop 18, which is elevated periodically to permit a charge of cigars C (in this case 5) to be pushed to a loading station L in direct line with the insertion station I. The

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number of cigars in the charge C is regulated by the placement of an adjustable stop 20. The charge C is then pushed in unison into the open end 16 of the carton 14 by a plunger 22 operated in sequence through a series of linkages 24 connected with the operating mechanism of the machine (now shown).

The loading station L comprises a fiat table 26 located below the plane of the conveyor 12. A plunger cover plate 28 is moved forward simultaneously with the movement of the plunger 22 to a position above the charge C of cigars located at the loading station L to form a platform directly in line with and in the plane of the conveyor 12. As the charge C is inserted into the carton 14, the gate 18 is elevated to permit a second charge to move on to the platform 28. After the first charge is inserted into the box 14, the plunger 22 and plate 28 recede permitting the second charge to fall on to the table 26. In this manner, by continuously repeating the process, an automatic flow of cigar groups are conveyed to the loading and insertion stations in periodic time sequence.

The insertion station I comprises an extension 30 to the loading table 26, a pair of front and rear side walls 32 and 34, the rear side wall 34 being substantially in line with the stop gate 18 and the forward side wall 32 being substantially in line with the stop wall 20, and a cover plate 36. The extension 30, side walls 32 and 34 and cover plate 36 define a rectangular passage having substantially the width and height of the predetermined charge of cigars C as well as the width and height of the open end 16 of carton 14. The rear side wall 34 is adjustab-ly secured to the frame of the machine to enable the passageway to be enlarged or decreased to accommodate various sizes of cigars and/ or cartons.

All of the apparatus heretofore described is a part of the machine shown in my co-pending application. It will be understood that only a very brief description of that machine is made, this being done for brevity and clarity and since a more complete description is unnecessary for the understanding of the present invention.

It will, nevertheless, be apparent from the above description that should any hindrance occur to the free and smooth movement of cigars from the loading platform L to the carton 14 there would be a resultant breakdown in the continuous automatic operation of the machine. Occasionally cellophane wrapped cigars are prevented from entering the carton 14 by the engagement of the sharp or improperly turned edges of the cellophane with the equally sharp or square edges of the carton end 16. A more frequent and pronounced difiiculty arises whenever the cigars are individually pre-encased in small box-like structures commonly referred to as boats.

The boat packaging of cigars is illustrated in the drawings. The cigars with or without cellophane wrappings are placed in a rectangular cardboard box-like structure 38. Such boxes or boats are formed with square sides and edges having elongated ends designed to protect the encased cigars from being crushed or otherwise deformed during processing and distribution. 'It will be observed that the ends 40 and 42 of each boat are square and rigid and present such a face to the open end of the carton 14 whose edges are also square and rigid. It has been found that it was extremely diificul't to insert a charge of boat encased cigars into the carton with the machine as described in my co-pending application. Accordingly, it is the purpose of this invention to facilitate the movement of the charge into the carton and to insure the smooth unhampered insertion therein.

This is accomplished by providing a novel tunneling device which is operative, upon the movement of the charge of cigars C, to open and maintain in opened condition the carton 14, and to do so whether or not the 3 carton 14 is provided with end closure flaps or whether or not the cigars are prepackaged or pre-encased.

The funneling device comprises a pair of flat spring members 44 and 46 and a freely pivotable finger 48. The rear spring member 44 is mounted on the back edge 50 of the rear side wall 34 of the insertion station I, and extends around the edge thereof substantially to the center of the passageway W adjacent to the conveyor 10. The forward spring member 46 is mounted to the back edge 52 of the forward side wall 32 and extends similarly toward the center of passageway W. It will be observed that the rear spring member 44 is longer than the forward spring member 46, extending, as seen in FIG. 3, well beyond the edge 54 of the table extension 30, while the forward spring member 46 extends only slightly therebeyond.

The freely pivotable finger 48 is mounted about a pin 56 secured to a block 58 itself pivotable about a screw post 60 secured to the upper face of cover plate 36 of the insertion station I. The cover plate 36 is provided with a cut out portion 62 permitting the finger 48 to fall freely to the table extension 39. The finger 48 is provided with a bent-up forward end 64 and a length sufficient not to exceed beyond the edge 54 of the table extension 30 when in free position but sulficient to extend substantially beyond said edge when in elevated position as shown in FIG. 4.

The block 58, which is pivotable about screw post 69 is restrained in its forward movement by stationary pin 66 and in its rearward movement by resilient spring member 68 mounted to post 70. The block 58 is thus permitted to pivot rearwardly only as shown in FIG. 5.

Before describing the operation of the tunneling device, it should be recalled that the conveyor 10 moves along a path parallel with conveyor 12, specifically along the line represented by the arrow D. The carton 14 passes adjacent to the insertion station I where it is indexed to a rest position to await the charge of cigars. From the accumulating station A a charge of cigars C is moved to the loading station L from which, in timed sequence, they are pushed transversely into the awaiting carton 14.

The movement of the carton 14 into position at the insertion station I is unhampered by either the spring members 44 and 46 or the finger 48 of the funneling device, since in their relaxed or free position, they rest well within the passageway W, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. However, when the charge C is pushed toward the carton through station I, the spring members 44 and 46 are pushed divergently, by the cigars, toward the side walls 34 and 32 respectively, as shown in FIG. 3. The rear spring member 44 extends beyond the edge 54 of the table extension 30 and enters into the opening 16 of the carton, coming to rest against its rear side wall. The forward spring member 46 extends sufficiently to barely engage the forward side wall of carton 14. The action of the spring members 44 and 46 in response to the movement of the charge C tends to spread out and straighten the side walls of carton 14 well in advance of the arrival of the charge C at the carton opening 16.

Upon further movement of the charge C, their leading edges (here represented as the edge 40 of the boat 38) engage the finger 48 and elevate it. As the finger 48 rises, it also enters into the open carton so that its bent end 64 engages the under surface of the topside of the carton elevating it as well above the level of the charge C (FIG. 4).

Because of the restraint imposed by the fixed side walls 32 and 34 and cover plate 36 of the insertion station I, the tunneling device operates merely to insure the opening of the carton 14 and the squaring of its leading edge 16. No strain or stress is placed on the carton 14 which would tend to distort it. Furthermore, since the spring member 44 enters into the carton 14, a definite indexing point is established locating the carton 14 at exactly the right position for the insertion of the charge C.

Still a further advantage is obtained from the fact that the fiat springlike members 44 and 46 compress the charge C before the charge enters the carton 14, thus facilitating the entry.

Once the charge C has fully entered the carton 14, the conveyor may be indexed forward and away from the station I, to permit the closing of the end flaps of the carton 14 and the movement of an empty carton to the station I. When the carton does so index the forward spring member 46, the short one, springs back out of the carton to its rest position in passageway W. The rear spring member 44, the long one, is carried by the rear wall of the carton forward until it too reaches its rest position, where it is no longer captured within the carton The finger 48, like the long spring member 44, is retained within the carton 14 and as the carton 14 moves until it too engages the rear wall of the carton at which polnt the carton forces it to pivot against the bias of the spring member 68. As the carton 14 moves past the central portion of passageway W, the finger 48 is disengaged from within the carton, after which the block 58 is returned to its normal rest position against the stop 66. The movement of finger 48 and block 58 is illustrated in FIG. 5. After the carton 14 passes the station I, the finger 48 falls freely to the table extension 30 as illustrated earlier in FIG. 2.

FIGURES 6 and 7 show a modification of the present apparatus to adapt the machine for the filling of cartons having end closure tabs. In these figures a carton 14a is located in a pocket P at the insertion station I at the time a charge C is being moved through the station toward the carton. The carton 14a is provided with an end closure flap 72 which due to the movement of the conveyor hangs within the passageway W so that without the provision of the present invention would stand in the way of the free movement of the charge C. It will be observed from FIGS. 6 and 7 that the forward spring member 46a in response to the movement of the charge C engages the tip of the end closure fiap 72 and carries it out of the way of the movement of the cigars, straightening it in respect to the carton 14a so that a smooth entry can be obtained.

The one modification of the apparatus previously described arises from the desirability of providing a space for the end closure flap when it is engaged by the spring member 46a so that it squares itself with the leading side of the carton 14a. This is accomplished by modifying the forward side wall of the insertion station, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 by providing a shorter wall 32a leaving a space between its leading edge 74 and the leading edge 54 of the table extension 30.

No modification need be made by the rear or trailing end closure flap of the carton 14a since it will be obvious that because of the movement of the carton on the conveyor, it will lie outside of the trailing edge of passageway W until the carton proceeds past the station I, at which time it no longer presents a problem to the insertion of the charge C. Similarly, no modification need be made to accommodate upper and lower closure flaps for the carton since they too will either lie outside the passageway W or rest upon the outer faces of the table extension 30 or the conveyor plate 36, or be accommodated by the finger 48, as previously described.

It will thus be seen that the objects set forth above, and those made apparent from the preceding description, are efiiciently attained. As various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and without sacrificing any of its advantages, it is to be understood that all matter herein is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. In a packaging machine for cigars or similar articles having a loading station, a conveyor for progressively moving a pre-formed open ended carton to and from said loading station, means for progressively supplying a charge of said articles to said loading station, said loading station including a walled passageway through which said charge is adapted to pass and means for inserting said charge into said car-ton, the improvement comprising a pair of elongated spring members, each of said spring members being fixedly secured at one end adjacent a side of said passageway, the free end of said spring members extending toward each other within said passageway, said spring members being moved apart by the entry of said charge through said passageway, causing the free ends thereof to extend outwardly of said passageway into the open end of said carton, a freely pivotable finger mounted on top of said passageway and depending therein, said finger being moved upwardly by the entry of said charge in said passageway to enter into the open end of said carton, said finger being also mounted for pivoting movement in a plane parallel to the movement of said conveyor, said spring members and said finger coacting to maintain said carton in condition for subsequent entry of said charge, said spring members and said finger being caused to return to their original position in said passageway by the movement of the loaded carton away from said station.

2. In a packaging machine for cigars or similar articles having a loading station, a conveyor for progressively moving a pre-formed open ended carton to and from said loading station, means for progressively supplying a charge of said articles to said loading station, said loading station including a walled passageway through which said charge is adapted to pass and means for inserting said charge into said carton, the improvement comprising a pair of elongated spring members, each of said spring members being fixedly secured at one end adjacent a side of said passageway, the free end of said spring members extending toward each other within said passageway, said spring members being flexed apart by the entry of said charge into said passageway to cause the free ends thereof to extend outwardly of said passageway into the open end of said carton to maintain said carton in condition for subsequent entry of said charge, one of said spring members being of a length sufiiciently short to permit it to reflex independently to its original position upon the complete insertion of the charge in the carton, and the other of said spring members being re-flexed to its original position in said passageway by the further movement of the loaded carton away from said station.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,639,071 5/1953 Hall 53-258 X FOREIGN PATENTS 353,640 7/ 193 1 Great Britain. 397,791 8/ 1933 Great Britain.

FRANK E. BAILEY, Primary Examiner.

ROBERT A. LEIGHEY, Examiner. 

2. IN A PACKAGING MACHINE FOR CIGARS OR SIMILAR ARTICLES HAVING A LOADING STATION, A CONVEYOR FOR PROGRESSIVELY MOVING A PRE-FORMED OPEN ENDED CARTON TO AND FROM SAID LOADING STATION, MEANS FOR PROGRESSIVELY SUPPLYING A CHARGE OF SAID ARTICLES TO SAID LOADING STATION, SAID LOADING STATION INCLUDING A WALLED PASSAGEWAY THROUGH WHICH SAID CHARGE IS ADAPTED TO PASS AND MEANS FOR INSERTING SAID CHARGE INTO SAID CARTON, THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING A PAIR OF ELONGATED SPRING MEMBERS, EACH OF SAID SPRING MEMBERS BEING FIXEDLY SECURED AT ONE END ADJACENT A SIDE OF SAID PASSAGEWAY, THE FREE END OF SAID SPRING MEMBERS EXTENDING TOWARD EACH OTHER WITHIN SAID PASSAGEWAY, SAID SPRING MEMBERS BEING FIXED APART BY THE ENTRY OF SAID CHARGE INTO SAID PASSAGEWAY TO CAUSE THE FREE ENDS THEREOF TO EXTEND OUTWARDLY OF SAID PASSAGEWAY INTO THE OPEN END OF SAID CARTON TO MAINTAIN SAID CARTON IN CONDITION FOR SUBSEQUENT ENTRY OF SAID CHARGE, ONE OF SAID SPRING MEMBERS BEING OF A LENGTH SUFFICIENTLY SHORT TO PERMIT IT TO REFLEX INDEPENDTLY TO ITS ORIGNAL POSITION UPON THE COMPLETE INSERTION OF THE CHARGE IN THE CARTON, AND THE OTHER OF SAID SPRING MEMBERS BEING REFLEXED TO ITS ORIGINAL POSITION IN SAID PASSAGEWAY BY THE FURTHER MOVEMENT OF THE LOADED CARTON AWAY FROM SAID STATION. 